VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Jan. 10, 2011) - A world-renowned expert on reducing human error in aircraft operations will be a keynote speaker at a major aviation safety conference in Vancouver.

Organizers of the 2011 CHC Safety & Quality Summit organizers are pleased to announce that Dr. Tony Kern, CEO of Convergent Performance, will be a keynote speaker at this year's event, March 28 – 30, 2011.

Kern, a former pilot and internationally recognized expert in the field of human error in aviation, has written five books on the subject and lectured around the globe for nearly two decades.

"The challenge of human error will never be remedied by any traditional means," says Dr. Kern. "Only by inspiring and empowering each individual towards higher standards of thinking and action, can we ever hope to create the elusive thing we're calling a 'safety culture'."

Dr. Kern will be making his second consecutive address at the Summit, which will be held at the Westin Bayshore Resort & Marina in Vancouver, Canada.

Dr. Kern has deep operational roots as a Command Pilot and Flight Examiner in the B-1B bomber, as well as senior staff and leadership experience, including service as the Chair of the Air Force Human Factors Steering Group and Director and Professor of Military History at the USAF Academy. Upon retirement from the Air Force in June of 2000, Dr. Kern served as the National Aviation Director for the U.S. Forest Service, where he directed the largest non-military government aviation program in the world in support of federal wildland fire suppression.

He is a graduate of the Federal Executive Institute and Senior Executive Service Candidate Development Program. Dr. Kern has received multiple awards for his work, including the Flight Safety Foundation Distinguished Service Award (2003) for Aviation Leadership and the Aviation Week and Space Technology Laurel Award (2002) for Outstanding Achievement in Government and Military Aviation. Tony holds Masters Degrees in Public Administration and Military History as well as a Doctorate in Higher Education, specializing in human factors training design. He enjoys hunting, fishing and flying. He currently lives and works in Colorado.

"Tony will bring a unique perspective to our 2011 event and will speak from his experiences," said Greg Wyght, Vice President, Safety and Quality for CHC Helicopter. "His keen observations and sharp intellect have made Tony a much anticipated and popular speaker, and we are pleased to have him on our 2011 agenda."

The CHC Safety & Quality Summit is an internationally recognized aviation safety conference aimed at improving safety in aviation globally through excellence in human factors and is hosted by CHC Helicopter, one of the worldâ€Ÿs largest providers of civilian search and rescue services and transportation for the global offshore oil gas industry. CHC has about 250 aircraft operating in some 30 countries worldwide.

The annual, non-profit Summit is sponsored by Sikorsky, Eurocopter, Willis, Chartis and Swiss Re, allowing the Summit to continue bringing the best minds in aviation safety to present and share best practices with delegates from around the globe.